Heroes & Capitols Game Expansion Review

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The small island nation of Catan is no longer a footnote on the maps of the world. The men and women who have tilled the soil and farmed its lands have brought forth a bounty large enough to support a growing population and a healthy economy rivaling those of its larger neighboring nations. But it was not through the work of farmers and ranchers alone that raised a handful of colonies into a thriving world power. Scattered among the towns and cities are monuments to the heroes who lead the people and protected them through trials and tribulations. Now you have a chance to relive these epic tales and breath new life into long-lost legends of old. Continue reading →

Agricola Game Review

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Agricola (Latin for “farmer”), designed by Uwe Rosenberg and published in English by Z-Man Games in 2008 (following the runaway success of the German edition published the previous year), is a thrill-a-minute worker placement game about farming. Okay, I admit that the theme itself is not the most exciting one, but if your little geek can play this game, then your child has the makings of a true Gamer Geek. And that is truly exciting! Continue reading →

Specimen Game Review (prepublished version)

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Everything was going by the book. All the safety measures were in place, systems were checked and double checked again, and the crew members of the deep space freighter T.C.S Brown were sleeping safely in hibernation on their way back to Earth. Then the unthinkable happened. Something collided with the ship. The emergency systems immediately came online and started reviving the crew. When the crew emerged from hibernation, they found that the damage could be fixed without much effort, but that wasn’t the issue. Something was released when the ship was struck and was now hunting them down, one by one. Continue reading →

Viticulture Game Review (prepublished version)

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Ah, Tuscany. Considered by many the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance where great thinkers and artists would gather. Its landscapes are the subject of countless paintings, poems, and dreams. It is here you find yourself with a dream of your own and a strong desire to make it a reality. With just a little bit of money, dedication, and a head for business, you will work to make your mark. Leveraging the cycles of nature to grow the prefect grape and make the greatest wine, you open your winery doors in hopes that Tuscany will prove to be all that you had dreamed it would be. Continue reading →

Dragon Clash Game Review

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Earth trembled and shuddered in anguish. After countless centuries and generations, mankind had finally dug too far, spoiled too much, and loved too little. The war-torn land was ravaged and the living spirit of nature, known as Gaia, summoned forth protectors of old to bring the fractured world into balance. These ancient and powerful dragons were the living embodiment of the rawest elements of life and death, but something was amiss. Because of their close connection to nature, their birth was laced with the madness that had consumed the world. Now the dragon champions of Earth battle each other for supremacy and all of creation is at their mercy. Continue reading →

Quadefy Game Review

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Puzzle solving is an excellent skill to practice and to strengthen. It teaches the individual to slow down, carefully consider the issue, and work through it. Table top puzzles can be a great time and require a lot of focus, but trying to solve a puzzle that is always changing can be a real challenge! This is especially true when the puzzle is no longer flat, but a cube. Using irregular sized blocks, can you solve the puzzle or will your opponent get the better of you? Continue reading →

Mars Needs Mechanics Game Review (prepublished version)

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I, say! Have you heard, old boy? Those well-to-dos at the British Royal Academy of Space Exploration are at it again! They’ve got it in their heads that Mars is the next great land for us to tread on. I even hear that the Queen, of all people, is backing this lunacy! I don’t know about you, but those so-called “scientists” are messing with technology we cannot hope to understand or control! Dangerous, if you bloody well ask me. But think of the glory if it could be done! Mars! You know, I might have just talked myself into joining this little competition of theirs. After all, it’s all for a good cause and I would look simply smashing in a space suit! Continue reading →

Escape from Pirate Island Game Review

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It is truly an island paradise, full of exotic birds and beautiful sandy beaches. Go deeper into it, however, and you’ll start to see the island’s more sinister side. The island natives, for one, are not too pleased that you have landed on their island, and are more than happy to push you back into the ocean with their spears. Then there’s the pirates and the walking skeletons, not to mention that very large and unstable volcano that looks to be erupting in the very near future. So why even bother to land on such an island? For the treasure, of course! And not just any treasure – pirate treasure! Work together to survive and be rich or, well…let’s not think about the alternative. Continue reading →

Reversal of Fortune Game Review

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It was an adventure like no other, to be sure. I think back on it now and wonder how we ever survived the storms, the sea monsters, the starvation, and the mutant cannibal monkey men. Oh, aye, they were a right jolly mess, they were. Ate half our crew, they did, and looked to still be hungry when they were done. But where was I…? Oh, the treasure! We found it, we did! The captain was right – there were mountains of gold and jewels! There was too much for a man to carry and too many baubles to count. It was then that I got me an idea… You see, the captain, he didn’t have the best of eyesight and I, well….I had me some mighty deep pockets, lad. Pockets I could fill with gold! Continue reading →

Scrapyard Warriors Game Review (prepublished version)

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One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or so the old idiom goes. In other words, what is useless to one can be exceptionally useful to another. A broken clock, for example, can yield springs and gears. A broken microwave can provide a magnetron and a capacitor. The point is, just because something is broken doesn’t mean it isn’t still useful. A product’s value might increase tenfold by simply breaking. And for a creative mind, all those parts can be collected and used to build something fantastic. All it takes is a little imagination and a scrapyard of junk becomes a smorgasbord of limitless possibilities! Continue reading →